Guitar Center of Hollywood - Top-Notch Selection, Prices and Customer Service

On Tuesday I had the absolute pleasure of heading down to the Hollywood Guitar Center to pick up a brand-new Mapex Saturn drum set. Located at 7425 West Sunset Boulevard, parking is easy and the store is absolutely huge. No matter what you are looking for, if it has ever been used in music it's available at this place. It is the Guitar Center of Guitar Centers. Let me tell you about my experience.

The purchase: My fiancé and I were down in Hollywood anyhow, and so I always make it a point to stop into that Guitar Center. They have all sorts of cool stuff, from extremely old vintage instruments to cutting-edge new equipment and everything in between. We wandered up to the drum room to have a look-see and the manager, Kurtis Bergen, was setting up a beautiful Mapex Saturn kit. I was not there to buy a set and so we wandered around, looking at the electronic drums, the cowbells, the cymbals and everything else drum-related.

Then he hit the bass drum. The entire shop turned around to see what had happened. It was loud, it was booming, it was a beast. So, I walked over and struck up a conversation with Kurtis, who was far and away the most helpful person I had ever spoken to in a music shop. Hands down. No contest. He knew his stuff, he knew his Mapex, and he didn't mind spending quite a bit of time telling me all about it.

We went home and all I could think about for several days was that kit and how it looked and sounded. I shot Kurtis out an email and expressed interest in one, and he had it ordered right away. He notified me the second it came into the store and I was back down there that afternoon.

Again, Mr. Berger was extremely helpful, going out of his way to be informative and to make sure I had everything I needed or wanted. He even stayed an hour after he was supposed to leave the store so that he was sure I was happy with my purchase. Was I ever! He made sure I got really good deals on every single piece of equipment, and saved me money everywhere he could. In the end I made out like a bandit, and in my opinion Kurtis deserves an "Employee of the Year" award. He truly shines.

The drum kit: Well, what can I say? Any of you who have played a Mapex knows what I'm talking about. There really isn't much out there that can compare. High-end Gretsch and DW drums come close, but in my opinion still don't sound as good as the Saturn set. The finish is absolutely gorgeous. I got the "Cherry Burst" option and it sure is a head turner. Mapex applies no less than eight coats of lacquer over beautifully stained wood to create a look very few drums can hold a candle to.

The sound of each drum is absolutely tremendous. I had read that it was a loud kit, but the thing is a monster! The rack toms sound as if they were recorded in a studio, the floor toms bring low frequencies like no others I have ever heard, and the bass is a thunderous yet controlled boom. Like so many others with the Mapex Saturn, I'm not even using any muffling. The kit simply sounds good all on its own. The snare delivers a sharp crack with a lot of nice tone, and also seems to have a sound all its own. I have played many snares, but none that sounded just like the Mapex Saturn snare.

The hardware is top-notch, to say the least. Sturdy comes to mind, as does eloquent. The floor toms feature spring-loaded legs to enhance resonance and the rack toms mount on a swivel-ball system for infinite adjustability. The bass drum is a virgin mounting system, meaning that the toms do not slide into the drum, but rather connect via a plate on the tension rods on top. Designing them in such a manner vastly improves the sound and resonance of each drum. I'll be writing a separate article strictly reviewing my Mapex Saturn, so be on the lookout for that.

In short, Guitar Center of Hollywood really hit it out of the park on this one, and I would personally like to thank Mr. Kurtis Berger for showing exemplary customer service skills throughout the entire process. If you are in the area and stop into the Hollywood Guitar Center for drums, I highly recommend talking to Kurtis. He goes above and beyond what is necessary so that customers leave with a smile and a good feeling. My hat is off to him.

Contact Information:

7425 West Sunset Boulevard

Hollywood, CA, 90046

(323) 874-1060